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Contractor's Continue A Christmas Tradition
Inpatients at the
J. D. McCarty Center for children with developmental
disabilities in Norman were beneficiaries of
a tradition that has gone on for more than 40
years as the Oklahoma Municipal Contractors
Association (OMCA) hosted their annual Christmas
party for the children.
Shortly after Mr. and
Mrs. Santa Claus arrived to dispense gifts to
the inpatients, the OMCA dispensed a gift of
their own to the McCarty Center. Allen Couch,
with W. N. Couch, Inc. of Tulsa and current
OMCA president, presented a check for $40,278
to Curt Peters, director and CEO of the McCarty
Center.
Couch is a second-generation
president of OMCA. Both his father and mother
were presidents of OMCA. Art Couch served from
1980 - 1981. Sylvia Couch served from 1984 -
1985. Sylvia Couch is the only woman to ever
serve as president of this state trade organization.
This is the second year
in a row that OMCA has donated more than $40,000
to the McCarty Center. "Our members believe
that by focusing on one charity that they can
really make a difference," said Rick Moore,
executive director of OMCA. "At this level
of support we can help with various hospital
projects in a very significant way," he
added.
The money is proceeds
from OMCA's annual charity golf tournament held
in September to benefit the McCarty Center.
It's hard to say who has
more fun at this party. The kids or the members
of OMCA who dress like elves and help Santa
Claus hand out the gifts. The involvement of
the members goes beyond the party. The members
of OMCA and their families go out and shop for
the individual patients to try to make some
of their Christmas list wishes come true.
Several members of OMCA
have begun including their children in this
project as a means of teaching volunteerism.
Participating as Santa's helpers this year were
Laurel Thomason, age 12, daughter of Charlie
and Kris Thomason; Nick Noble, age 10, and Carter
Noble, age 8, sons of Tom and Gabi Noble; and
their cousins Dillon Noble, age 12, Madie Noble,
age 8, twin sister Samantha Noble, age 8, and
Parker Noble, age 10, the children of Donny
and Cheryl Noble.
This was the second year
for this group of Santa's helpers to work this
party. When asked what they liked about it their
answers included "seeing the smiles on
the patient's faces when they got their bag
of gifts" and "helping Santa by shopping
for the gifts".
When asked what they had
learned from the experience they all agreed
that volunteering could be fun work, and earning
some extra 'I've been good' points with Santa
Claus didn't hurt.
The Oklahoma Municipal
Contractors Association is the state's trade
organization that represents contractors who
work on local, state and federal municipal projects.
The J. D. McCarty Center
is Oklahoma's center of excellence in the care
and treatment of children with developmental
disabilities from birth to age 21. Founded 61
years ago, the hospital treated only one diagnosis…cerebral
palsy. Today the McCarty Center has treated
more than 70 different diagnoses in the developmental
disability category. The McCarty Center is the
only rehab hospital of its kind in Oklahoma.
In an average year, the hospital will see children
from 70 of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
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